Farnell
Farnell, an Avnet company, is a global high-service distributor of technology products, services and solutions for electronic system design, maintenance and repair.
Director of Global Ecommerce Operations- Leeds, England
At Farnell, ecommerce is at the heart of how we serve customers across the globe. As our Director of Global Ecommerce Operations, you will play a pivotal leadership role in ensuring the performance, stability, and continuous evolution of our global digital commerce ecosystem.
Responsible for overseeing 48 localized ecommerce websites, multiple e-procurement platforms, and a globally distributed operations team, you will lead the operational strategy that underpins customer experience, revenue continuity, and digital transformation. Working at the intersection of technology, operations, program governance, vendor management, and customer experience, you will drive operational excellence while championing innovation, automation, and AI-enabled capabilities.
This is a highly visible leadership position with significant influence across Ecommerce, Technology, Marketing, Customer Service Operations, and senior business stakeholders.
What's in it for you?
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Lead the operations of a truly global ecommerce platform serving customers across multiple regions, languages, and currencies.
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Shape the future of digital commerce at a leading electronics distributor.
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Drive strategic transformation initiatives, including AI and automation opportunities.
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Influence executive decision-making through data-driven insights and business advocacy.
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Collaborate with senior leaders across Technology, Marketing, Customer Service Operations, and Commercial functions.
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Build and develop high-performing global teams while creating a scalable operating model for future growth.
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Enjoy a role that combines strategic leadership with meaningful operational impact on customer experience and business performance.
Further to this you will also receive a competitive salary plus bonus, private medical, pension employer contribution of 10% plus various other benefits and company perks.
What will you be doing?
Driving Global Ecommerce Operations
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Own the end-to-end operational health, performance, and availability of Farnell's global ecommerce platforms.
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Monitor site performance, uptime, service levels, and operational metrics across all regions.
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Define and maintain operational standards, governance processes, escalation procedures, and service level expectations.
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Quantify and communicate the business impact of platform incidents and downtime to support prioritisation and investment decisions.
Leading Incident Management and Platform Stability
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Act as the senior point of accountability for major ecommerce incidents.
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Lead root cause analysis activities and drive corrective and preventative actions.
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Foster a culture of proactive monitoring, continuous improvement, and operational resilience.
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Ensure rapid issue resolution through effective collaboration with engineering, infrastructure, and third-party partners.
Managing Release Readiness and Quality Assurance
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Lead the global User Acceptance Testing (UAT) function across both Waterfall and Agile delivery models.
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Ensure releases are thoroughly tested and production-ready before deployment.
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Oversee deployment readiness activities, rollback planning, communication protocols, and post-release validation.
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Champion improvements in testing frameworks, automation, and release quality.
Leading Cross-Functional Program Delivery
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Coordinate complex initiatives across Ecommerce, Marketing, Customer Service Operations, and Technology teams.
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Establish clear programme governance, priorities, timelines, and success measures.
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Develop compelling business cases to secure organisational alignment and investment.
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Ensure programmes deliver measurable business outcomes without compromising platform stability.
Vendor and Stakeholder Management
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Manage strategic vendor relationships, contracts, and service agreements.
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Partner with Procurement, Legal, Finance, and Technology teams to optimise performance and costs.
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Hold suppliers accountable against agreed service levels and business expectations.
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Serve as the central communication point for ecommerce performance, incidents, releases, and roadmap updates.
Building Future Capability
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Support the adoption of AI and automation solutions within ecommerce operations.
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Lead, coach, and develop a global team of operations managers and UAT specialists.
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Create a scalable operating model that supports business growth and evolving customer expectations.
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Champion ecommerce as a strategic business capability across the organisation.
What about you?
You are an experienced digital commerce leader with a proven track record of managing complex ecommerce environments, leading global teams, and influencing senior stakeholders. You combine strong operational discipline with strategic thinking and know how to balance platform reliability with business innovation.
You'll bring:
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Significant leadership experience within ecommerce operations, digital platforms, or online customer experiences.
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Experience managing large-scale, multi-region ecommerce environments and distributed teams.
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Strong knowledge of ecommerce operations, incident management, service delivery, release management, and platform governance.
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Demonstrated success leading cross-functional programmes within complex global organisations.
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Experience managing third-party vendors, contracts, and service-level agreements.
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Strong understanding of both Agile and Waterfall delivery methodologies.
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Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence at executive level.
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A highly analytical and data-driven approach to decision-making.
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Experience driving operational improvements, automation initiatives, and continuous improvement programmes.
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Awareness of emerging technologies, including AI and automation, and their application within ecommerce environments.
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A passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences and building high-performing teams.
You'll stand out if you have:
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Experience operating within a global B2B ecommerce environment.
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Knowledge of e-procurement platforms and digital procurement solutions.
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Experience leading transformation programmes involving AI-enabled technologies and automation.
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A strong track record of balancing operational excellence with strategic business growth.
Join us and play a critical role in shaping the future of global ecommerce operations while ensuring our digital platforms continue to deliver exceptional experiences for customers around the world.
If this role is of interest then please apply now, our talent team will review your application and if shortlisted you will be contacted to arrange an initial screening call.
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The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills.
Avnet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. If you are interested in applying for employment with Avnet and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply for a posted position contact our Human Resources Service Center in your region: Americas applicants – [email protected], Asia applicants - [email protected], EMEA applicants - [email protected].
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